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Bottle Shock

Most everybody knows glass can be recycled. So how come the EPA says 80 percent of wine bottles wind up in landfills? As Earth Day approaches, one of the best things you can do for Mother Earth is not leave so many wine bottles lying around.

Once a joke, wines in lighter alternative packages like boxes and Tetra Paks (think grown-up juice boxes) are giving a whole new meaning to “picnic wine.” Fresh and affordable versions of our favorite wines like chardonnay and malbec are showing up in colorful recyclable boxes (ecoVino and Bota) and Tetra Paks (organic Y + B, California Rabbit and Bandit).

But if presentation matters, consider serving wine from your own elegant and eco-chic oak barrel. The brainchild of Jean Charles Boisset, owner of DeLoach Vineyards in the Russian River Valley and Raymond Vineyards in the Napa Valley, the reusable barrels ($220 to $250) hide a recyclable eco-pouch filled with wine that stays fresh for up to six weeks. The 3 liter pouch can serve 21 glasses of DeLoach Nova Vineyard Zinfandel ($115). A couple bags of Raymond Cabernet Sauvignon ($56 each) might be just the thing for the 20 thirsty guests coming to your Earth Day bash.